Towards a better paradigmatic partnership between business and design Ulla Johansson & Jill Woodilla Business & Design Lab University of Gothenburg Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
Overview of presentation 1. Purpose and framework 1. Distribution of research in –Management –Design –Design Management (DM) 3. Summary and implications Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
Background Management theories that design has partnered with are quite narrow – and often not very interesting. They are not in the forefront of management research. Not even very interesting from a design epistemology. We want to problemetize the way in which knowledge from design merges with knowledge from management Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
Research Question From an epistemological perspective, how do different research streams in management, design, and design management relate to one another? Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation Method Select an analytic framework Select data Read and categorize articles Map onto analytic framework Interpret results
Burrell and Morgan – our framework Scholars approach research with different assumptions about: 1.The nature of the society Subjectivism Objectivism 2.The nature of research purpose Regulation in human affairs Radical change Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation “Paradigm” is understood as a fundamental view on life or a broad view, that affects the way particular aspects of reality are understood (Kuhn 1962)
Burrell and Morgan’s four paradigms Radical humanist Endpoints: subjective & radical change Radical structuralist endpoints: objective & radical change Interpretative Endpoints: subjective & regulation Functionalist Endpoints: objective & regulation Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
Management Paradigmatic representation of management theories Schematic Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
Paradigmatic representation of design theories Design Schematic Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
Design Management Paradigmatic representation of design management theories Schematic Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
Schematic of overlap – eureka! Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
Consequences and reflections A new research area that seeks legitimacy among both academics and practitioners are likely to originate in the main stream area However, now is time for the DM research to broaden its paradigmatic perspectives Also, there needs to be some paradigmatic consistency between D+M research Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
Possibilities Radical humanist paradigm Critical management Interpretative and reflexive methodology Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation
New question Where does “Design Thinking” fit in? Business & Design Lab. School of Business, Economics and Law & School of Design and Crafts in cooperation